Coming Home
by Purplefluffychainsaw
Summary: One night, out on the road, half the world away from home. I thought she was sleeping and a call came through. I said, 'darling it's late, is everything okay' and silence took over the world. 'I just love you. I don't know why, I just do.'


Inspired by Five for Fighting's, "I Just Love You", which is where the summary text comes from.

* * *

He's on the road when his phone rings. Responsible as ever, he pulls over to take the call, and by the time he's stopped and flicked the lights on, the ringing has stopped. He almost doesn't need to read the missed call message – he knows instinctively that it was his wife, and sure enough before he has time to hit the dial button, the phone in his hands is ringing again, and Finland's smiling face is looking up at him with the promising letters "home" underneath.

Sweden accepts the call and brings the phone up to his ear with a soft grunt by way of greeting.

"Su-san?" He can almost hear Finland's grin, as he gives another soft noise of agreement. "Oh, Su-san! It's so late! I know you said that you had lots of work to do, but I didn't realise it was this much. I could have helped!"

"'S ok'y." Sweden smiles to himself, enjoying the sound of Finland's voice, and only breaks the stream of words reluctantly.

"You're on the way home now, right?" Sweden grunts another yes – Finland knows that he never has his personal phone on while he's in the office, just as he never keeps his work phone on when they are doing something together. "Good. I put some dinner aside for you, so I'll have it warmed up for when you get home. Will you be long?"

"'nly just left." There's a faint hint of annoyance in his voice, and for once Sweden is regretting their little house in the countryside. It'll take him forty minutes or so to drive home, and now all he wants is to be there straight away.

Finland's heard the change of tone, and Sweden doesn't need to be with him to see the gentle, loving smile on his face. "You'll be home soon." He reassures his husband over the phone. "I made Ostkala for dessert."

"D'd Seal'nd eat all t'ce cr'm?" Sweden asks, and Finland laughs.

"I made him save some for you."

"G'd." There's a pause, and Sweden hears Finland muffle a yawn from the other end. His brows furrow worriedly. "Y' sh'ld sleep. Got work t'morrow."

"Oh, no, I'm fine Su-san." Finland assures him, quickly. "I'll be fine waiting for you to come home." There's another pause, and Sweden wonders if he's yawning again, but some how knows that he isn't, and that the normally verbose man is waiting to say something. Before he manages it, though, there's a scuffling on the other side, and Sweden sits up, worried. "Wait a moment." Finland says, quickly, and holds the phone away to say something. Straining, Sweden hears 'Sealand' and 'go back to bed', and he relaxes, glad to know that nothing has happened.

Soon the phone is picked up again. "Su-san?"

"St'll h're." Sweden assures him quickly.

"Sealand wants to talk to you."

Sweden smiles. "'Kay."

The phone is passed over. "Papa?" Sealand asks, and the boy sounds more asleep than awake.

"D'd w' wake y'?" Sweden asks, gently.

There's a noise on the other end, and Sweden guesses that Sealand has shook his head sleepily. "Wanted to say goodnight." Sealand says, through a yawn.

"G'dnight, Seal'nd." Sweden wishes more than ever that he was home. It seems like months since he got to tuck his son into bed. He was working last weekend, and the nights have got later and later. Still, one more day, and then it will be the weekend again, and he has almost caught up on things. "Sl'p w'll."

"Goodnight Papa. Love you."

"L've y' too."

The phone is passed back up to Finland. "Su-san?"

"Mmm?"

"Come home soon. And drive safely."

"W'll do."

There's a gentle silence, and then Finland almost whispers into the receiver, "I love you."

"L've y' too." Sweden repeats, and there are butterflies in his stomach. A soft ache has settled over him, and now, more than ever, all he wants to do is go home.

"See you soon." Finland's hesitating now, waiting as long as possible before he puts the phone down, even though he needs to take Sealand back up to bed.

"S'n." Sweden promises, and waits before adding another, "l've you", and ending the call.

He sits back in his seat for a moment and closes his eyes. The ache in his heart is breaking him, but he's smiling with love and joy, for all that the absence is killing him. What was it that England said once? 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'.

Gathering himself, he puts the phone on the passenger seat and starts up the car again.

When he gets home, he isn't surprised to find that the sitting room light is still on, and he lets himself in as quietly as possible. Finland is still sitting in the corner of the couch, and he blinks up at Sweden sleepily as he comes in. Sealand is draped over his lap, snoring gently, the blanket from the back of the sofa wrapped around him securely. Sweden leans over to kiss him, and soft lips meet his in a chaste kiss.

"Sorry, Su-san. I must of dozed off." He apologises quickly, but doesn't move, scared of waking the boy in his lap. "Sealand wanted to wait for you to come home, and I couldn't say no, but I knew he'd fall asleep and he did, but then I didn't want to disturb him, and –"

Sweden disturbs his sleepy speech with another kiss. He's moved around the sofa now, and he bends over so he can scoop their little son into his arms. Sealand shifts a little, and opens his eyes. "Papa?"

"'m h'me."

Smiling sleepily, Sealand snuggles into Sweden's chest, curling one hand into his shirt. Finland stands up, and looks guiltily towards the kitchen, before deciding to pad after his partner to Sealand's room. It's lit by the gentle light of Sealand's nightlight, so they don't have to disturb him by switching the main light on. Finland pulls the duvet back so that Sweden can lay the young Nation down, and then wraps it back up around him, pulling the blanket away so they can put it back on the sofa when they return downstairs.

Sweden leans down and kisses Sealand's brow in a rare show of fatherly affection, and he feels Finland's smile on his back as he does so. Still, neither of them say anything, until Finland's pressed his own kiss onto Sealand's forehead and they push the door closed as they leave.

Downstairs, Sweden takes the blanket out of Finland's hands and wraps it around his little wife's shoulders. "S't d'wn."

"But I should –" Finland points vaguely towards the microwave, but Sweden isn't going to let his partner do anything more tonight, and just pulls out a chair for the blonde. Finland sighs, but sits down, wrapping the blanket tight around himself and watching Sweden as the man goes about putting the dinner that was saved for him in the microwave.

He sits down next to Finland to eat, and Finland is quick to lean against him, snuggling into Sweden's shoulder, and soon Sweden hears his breathing slow as he slips into another doze. He smiles, and when he finishes eating, he wraps an arm around Finland and nuzzles his sweet smelling hair until he wakes up.

This time there are no words between them, and nor do there need to be, as Sweden takes his plates to the dishwasher and then leads Finland upstairs. He takes off his lover's clothes with no trace of lust, and lays him down in the bed lovingly before stripping himself and disappearing into the bathroom to clean up quickly. When he returns, Finland pulls the duvet aside for him, and Sweden is quick to snuggle in beside him. Finally, he thinks, he is home.


End file.
